The Knicks will make Frank Ntilikina available in trade talks and are willing to move him if they can get a first-round pick in return, a source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post. “The Knicks will be active on draft night,” the source predicts.
Berman adds that New York would gladly include the second-year guard in a package to acquire Anthony Davis from New Orleans, but the prospect of any first-rounder may be enough to get a deal done as the Knicks look to remake their roster this summer.
However, it’s not certain that anyone will part with a first-round pick for Ntilikina, who was the seventh player selected just two years ago. He has played just 41 games this season because of injuries and hasn’t established whether he fits as a point guard, a shooting guard or a combination of the two.
Ntilikina wasn’t included in a conversation with Hall-of-Fame point guard Jason Kidd when he addressed the team Wednesday in Phoenix, Berman notes. Kidd talked at length with Dennis Smith Jr. and Emmanuel Mudiay while Ntilikina stood a few feet away.
Another source that Berman spoke with believes the Knicks would be giving up on Ntilikina too soon.
“Don’t they have to see what they have first?” the source said. “If he turns into a bust as a lottery pick, fine. But they do not know that yet.”
Ntilikina hasn’t played since late January because of a groin strain that was originally projected to take a week or two to heal. Three days after the injury, New York traded for Smith, who appears to have the starting point guard role wrapped up.
The Knicks are committed to Smith moving forward and are still debating whether to try to re-sign Mudiay, adds Berman, who states that the only way plans will change is if they can attract Kyrie Irving or Kemba Walker in free agency. Fizdale plans to use Ntilikina as a wing when he returns and his future in New York remains very much in doubt.
Terrible decision. The kid is still growing. Everyone knew he was a project. This move makes no sense. If rather have Frank than a late 1st round pick any day.
I definitely laughed out loud at the thought that the Knicks would get a 1st rounder for him.
The Knicks front office continues to be a dumpster fire.
A second rounder but no team is giving up a 1st round pick for a guy who is always injured and used up a couple years of play.
I agree he’s been hurt a lot this year but he did get into 78 games last season. I think he still has a pretty high ceiling but a 1st round pick will be tough unless it’s really late (25-30 range). I’m not sure why the Knicks are in such a hurry to give up on him either
Only thing is he used up 2 years of time. So he is at the crossroads of his career with another team. 1 year to prove he is a starter or will be non-tendered.
I know Sean Marks likes him and will probably offer the NYK 2nd rounder (#31) or if he has to the DEN 1st rounder (#27). He’s what? Still 20 or 21? If he was in the upcoming draft he’d be a top 10 pick for sure. I heard he’s still growing and is like 6’8 now. Man that length and wingspan would be tantalizing on the Nets.
The Pistons can’t draft a player in the first round with any success but they nail their second round picks consistently. So call the Pistons, they might trade you their 1st for your second and that bust lottery pick.
The smarter move would be to trade Emmanuel and keep Frank. Worst case scenario he becomes a bench piece. Best case scenario he rebuilds his value and is moved for something nice next year.
He hasn’t shown me anything, as a guy that’s been in the nba for a couple of years now, that if you (hypothetically) threw him back into the college game today, he’d be a dominant player at that level. Intriguing, MAYBE. Therefore, nobody’s giving them a 1st round pick for him strait up.
Isn’t this guy only 21? What are the Knicks doing? They run their organization like crackheads. Pivot at the slightest fluctuation in information.
Was he drafted by Phil?
Yes
The answer to the fat man’s source: No, this myopic Knicks’ FO/HC don’t have to see what they have first before their comfortable trading him. He’s not a Perry-Fiz guy. So, it won’t affect their ability to keep patting each other the back if he’s traded for a bag of nuts.
As far as 1st round pick, the 2019 draft isn’t good or deep, and FN could look quite good next to what might remain available in the back half of the 1st round. If it happened, it would be telling on another front. Dallas couldn’t get even a highly protected 1st for DSJ when they shopped to the entire league weeks before the KP trade.
Another dumb decision by the Knicks.
Mudiay is not worth signing long term, especially with DSJ in tow and summer plans to chase star point guards.
With the youth movement a foot right now, why isn’t Frank getting minutes (when healthy)? I don’t see him living up to #7 pick status, but I could see him developing into a Shaun Livingston style player, which is a valuable piece for the bench.
Sure, if a team offers that, fine. Same goes for a number of Knicks players. But why are they announcing this, and now? Seems like an opportunity to use an outsider (Jason Kidd) to absorb some of the inevitable criticism of Frank’s phase-out.
The guy cannot shoot and excessively avoids contact. By the time his flaws are fixed (or aged out) he will be available again. Still a couple years from now at least.
If the Sixers got a 1st for Markelle Fultz…